Physical and Mental Health Status of the Elderly in the Context of Age Structural Transition: A Study in Khorramabad, Iran

The increasing number and changing profile of the elderly population in Iran require identifying the factors that influence their health status. This paper aims to study the social, demographic and economic characteristics that affect the physical and mental health of the elderly living in Khorramabad city, Iran. 

Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 379 elderly people aged 60 and over living in Khorramabad. A survey questionnaire and a standard quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL-SF36, 26) were used to collect the required information. 

The mean index of physical health was 29.27 and the mean index of mental health was 22.12. The most common diseases among elderly people were arthritis and cardiovascular diseases. Education, age, number of children, and gender were factors that could affect the health status of the elderly. Findings show that with the increase in the number of children, the level of physical health of the elderly decreases, but their mental health increases. In fact, children are still considered as one of the sources of familial support in old age. Physical and mental health also affect each other. Having a better health level in either dimension improves the health status in the other dimension. 

The experiences of aging are different for different social groups due to various factors affecting the health status of the elderly. From a policy-making perspective, it is necessary to adopt an individual-centered approach to understand the situation of the elderly and maximize opportunities throughout the life cycle to achieve healthy aging. Key Message: Population projections show that following the age-structural transition of Iran's population, the share of elderly people in the population will increase in the coming years. The elderly people differ from the rest of society in various socio-economic and health aspects (including their economic status, marital status, disease patterns, and the need for health care). Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a good quality of life for the elderly with a special focus on their health status and social care in the long-term social policies of the country.